Stumbling Blind Side Stories
by ajremix
Summary: Quasi-side stories to the Stumbling Blind series (predominantly ShikaIno). Complete!
1. Stepping from the Edge

Stepping from the Edge   
By: Virgo  
  
A/N: Okay, okay, so no Shikamaru /or/ Ino, I'm sorry. But it seemed like it had to be done to me. This takes place during chapter 10 of Stumbling Blind. Pretty much a look into why the sudden Sasuke-out-of-characterism toward the end :P

* * *

He'd met the new Hokage a few times after he was brought back. She checked up on him occasionally, making sure the seal around Orochimaru's curse was still strong. Every time she did Tsunade always said the same thing:  
  
"How's my little rebel today?"  
  
And he'd scowl because it sounded like a pet name coming from her lips. He didn't want anything to do with her. Or this village. He wanted strength. This tiny place couldn't give it to him and they tried to thwart every chance he had of gaining it.  
  
He hated this place, he hated the people in this place. Most of all, he hated that annoying Uzumaki and equally damnable Nara. It was their fault he was back here. It was their fault he wasn't strong.  
  
"You really should stop it."  
  
Sliding dark eyes at Tsunade, Sasuke growled. Damn her, too. She seemed to know just what he was thinking.  
  
"You're a lot better off here than with Orochimaru than you think." She said smoothly. "You know don't him like I do. He'll toy with you and pull whatever strings will get what /he/ wants. He doesn't care about your needs any more than he cares about anyone. He uses people for his own goals." Raising her eyes in a bland sort of humor Tsunade said, "If you want proof about it, ask Jiraiya about it. Or Anko. Or, better yet," she leaned forward, elbow on the edge of the bed, chin cupped in one hand, "ask me. Go on. Ask me anything."  
  
But Sasuke just turned his head toward her, eyes like glass, compressing light into a thin, smoldering beam. "Don't think you can keep me here." He told her, voice low like the rumble of an awakening volcano slumbering deep beneath the sea. "I'll escape and I'll make everyone pay for holding me back. Dead Last and that Nara bastard especially."  
  
"You know you really should be thankful to that 'Nara bastard'." Tsunade told him conversationally, as if she weren't just being threatened by the strongest ninja of his generation. "He gave you a second chance."  
  
"A chance at what?" The boy growled. "At being weak? At never being able to become stronger?"  
  
"At fighting your brother. On /your/ terms."  
  
Taken aback, Sasuke's agro flow trickled thin. Satisfied that she had his undivided attention, Tsunade turned to face him fully.  
  
"You are a strong young man, Sasuke-kun, you know that. Matching up to someone of Itachi's level is still beyond you, but you can reach it through hard work and perseverance. You still have so many years ahead of you until you even reach your prime. You don't have to worry about trying to extract your revenge right now." A fine boned finger shook lightly at the thought, but the tremor quickly passed. "You don't need to be someone else's dog to gain strength, you don't need someone else's strength to fight your battles." She gave him a grim look. "Would you be satisfied when you finally killed Itachi and everyone would say it was only by Orochimaru's strength? That you rebuilt your clan on someone else's power? You know the kind of man Orochimaru is. He's done worse to people than Itachi has."  
  
Sasuke turned away, a frown tugging at his lips. "That doesn't concern me."  
  
"Yes, it does. Because you are shinobi. You care about the lives of others, you want to protect those close to you, even though you don't want them close. If you didn't care about them, about the lives of your team members, even people you hardly even know, you wouldn't have gotten this far. The instructors here wouldn't have let you."  
  
He wanted to glare, but he suddenly felt as if he didn't have the strength. Sensing his sudden drain, Tsunade stood up, drawing her robes around her once more. Suddenly she seemed like someone different and the hand that patted him seemed so much older.  
  
"You don't have to be friends with him, you don't even have to like him. But know that he is here to support you, so long as you make a true decision instead of running off on impulse." She leaned down slightly, breathe sweet against Sasuke's cheek. "And I'm sure he wouldn't mind a little support, either. He lost a lot for your true gain."  
  
A frown crossed Sasuke's lips and his fingers curled around the blankets just for something to do. But Tsunade didn't seem to be finished yet. "Remember, Sasuke," she said, half turning at the doorway, "if you can no longer feel regret for your actions you're already becoming the same kind of person as Itachi."  
  
But Sasuke didn't acknowledge her. He just sat straight-backed in his bed and looked hard out the window to the entrance to his own mind.

* * *

A/N II: Um, sorry for taking so long to get this up. I wanted to have it done for some time now, but I got halfway finished and just hit a brick wall. Any thoughts for any story just welled up and died. Even now I'm practically forcing myself to think of something so this I'm still not completely happy with it. But, well, I'm afraid we're all just gonna have to live with it, really;;  
  
Anyway I have two more side story ideas in my head. One will deal Inosuke a bit more and the other..... well, I don't know how to say it without spoilers, so I won't- Enjoy! 


	2. High, Clear Summer Sky

High, Clear Summer Sky By: Virgo  
  
ShikaIno vague drabble. Pseudo-side story to Stumbling Blind. Set a couple years later (16-18 years or older, if you like). Product of too much KareKano.  
  
~*~*~*~ Moments like these I treasure above most. No matter how many times we kiss, how many times he holds on to me, these are the moments I think upon most tenderly because they are the most honest. They are the times we're truly honest with ourselves and each other. ~*~*~*~  
  
His silence would wrap her up and keep her warm. His mere presence meant more to her than any words could. Because he was there and he was who he was. And he was the most precious thing in her life and he felt the same way about her. She had lost count how many times she told him she loved him. She could count how many times he said the same, but it didn't matter to her. She didn't need to hear the words from him (even though every time he did, she fell in love with him all over again) because in every careful touch and every kind smile she saw the words plainly in his eyes. He loved her and never once did she doubt it.  
  
It was almost frightening how much she felt for him. When he left it felt like she was slowly dying without him. She didn't know what to do, she felt useless. She hated herself whenever he wasn't nearby. Every time he was gone, she wondered how long it would be until her heart burst open from all the sadness and loneliness. And every time he was there the more she loved him. The longer he spent away, the more she came to care about him and every time he returned, it was the same familiar feeling welling up inside, that made her feel like she couldn't breath, made her feel frightened being around him because the intensity of her emotions towards him scared her. And when that happened, she hated herself whenever he was there.  
  
But every time he would turn to her with that small smile and tell her he loved her. And the constricting emotion would break into something high and clear and all she could do is hold him until her heart stopped sobbing against his. She didn't know if it was possible to love someone too much, but she never wanted to stop loving him.  
  
~*~*~*~ I don't want it to stop. I want to keep getting closer and closer. No matter how close we are, I want to get closer. I want to be together, immerse myself entirely in her. I don't want to spend another moment by myself, only as me. ~*~*~*~  
  
Maybe he was frightened that she would change every time he wasn't there. He was always afraid of something whenever he left and it never had to do with him. He wanted to be there with her, he hated leaving her side. He wanted to stay with her and be with her and never have to be him without her. He wanted them to be together and only together. Maybe the reason he was so frightened when he left was because that feeling would only become stronger and every time he returned and saw her it was so hard to not want to be with her any way he could.  
  
He didn't want to frighten her off, but the feeling wouldn't stop growing. He wondered if his heart would burst, overflowing with thoughts and feelings that centered around her only. It was always there no matter what they did. Even when she yelled at him or they were doing something childish, even when he acted annoyed the only thing he could think of was wanting to hold her and posses her and never let her go. If something ever happened to keep him from doing so, he didn't know what he would do.  
  
It felt like he was going crazy, thinking these things. He wondered what she would say if she ever found out. He had to be near her because when he wasn't, the feeling would grow and only by being with her did his heart ever feel calm.  
  
~*~*~*~ I want these times to last. I want us to be together and never be apart. I want to know myself as the person with you because you're what matters to me. You're the most precious thing in my life and I don't think I could ever give it up. ~*~*~*~  
  
She liked it whenever they were up on the hill because it was just a world for them up there. In the warm grass in the warm sun with the cool breeze. Just the clouds and the sky and each other. No one else went up there, it was just a world for them and she loved it because it meant no one would take him away from her. It meant that she wouldn't be helpless because he's not there.  
  
She especially liked it when it rained. They didn't care, they'd huddle against each other as they walked back to town. He'd stop at the bus station and he'd wipe her hair and face dry with a handkerchief. She loved the feel of his hands on her and she'd nuzzle into it. She'd stand closer to him to keep warm and he'd put his hands on her shoulders. They'd stand there and wait for the rain to stop or they'd decide to go somewhere else and they always did it hand in hand.  
  
She didn't know if it meant that she was happy to be so thoroughly possessed, but she didn't want him to turn his gaze from her. She had his attention and he was willing to give her all of it. It gave her stillness and she didn't want to let it go.  
  
~*~*~*~ If I lost myself to you entirely, I wouldn't care. Because I love you and I want to be forever with you. I feel like if I weren't with you I'd break and I wouldn't be able to find me again but sometimes when I'm with you it feels like it's not enough and I'm going crazy unless I can be closer to you. ~*~*~*~  
  
Sometimes when she went home with him he'd just sit there and look at her. No matter how many times she was in his room she would always look around as if there was something she never noticed before. No matter how many times she was in his room he would look at her and he would see something about her that he never had before and he loved it and it made his love for her grow. He'd sit there and watch her and his heart would ache painfully because he could never feel close enough. He wanted to be with her as much as he could be, he wanted to hold her and touch her and speak to her through his heart.  
  
He loved the moments that they'd just sit together, the feel of her in his arms and the warmth of her skin and her soft hair and the gentle smell of her perfume like wildflowers in a sun drenched field. He looked at her and he could see the sky and the sun and feel the soft clouds and he wanted to drown in her because it felt like he was drowning in his emotions for her.  
  
He wanted to hold her and kiss her and love her eternally but he was afraid to because if he started he was afraid that he wouldn't know how to stop. He was afraid of where that may put them next and afraid that he may frighten her off. But then she'd look up at him and smile and tell him it was all right and he wanted to cry against her because it felt as if she took the weight off his floundering heart and let it dive into her endless sky.  
  
~*~*~*~ Even if the world blurred and changed, even if it felt as if I were falling, it doesn't matter because I know you're there. You're there with me and you're holding me and catching me. In the safety of your arms you're all I need to know because, lost in each other, you're the only thing that matters. And for you I would give up myself because I'd rather be a part of you than not at all. ~*~*~*~  
  
The sun reached its highest point and flashed and the cool wind blew. The scent of flowers and grass and wood mingled to a fragrant that covered the hill and they lay there, together, in each other. And nothing else mattered because they were where they wanted to be. Next to each other and belonging to the other.  
  
They didn't have to say anything, together and not someone that could be without the other, because sometimes even 'I love you' isn't enough. 


	3. Marriage: A Spectator's Sport

Marriage: A Spectators' Sport By: Virgo  
  
Based off some clip of some old western movie that got caught in my mind (because it was pretty random and very funny) and some other humorous wedding fics. Which, of course, just snowballed into this monstrosity. Though there's no /real/ time frame, Ino and Shikamaru are about 19 at this point. Because I don't know much about Asian weddings (and because most of this wouldn't work in an asian wedding, anyway), this is based on a traditional Western wedding. For the most part :P  
  
It's a little rushed at the end, but then it /was/ starting to get a little long, as well. And any insinuations about what happened at the bachelor party.... Imagine what you will^-^  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Marriage is a very graceful ceremony. Beautiful, peaceful, full of traditions and hopes. Depending, of course, on who you asked.  
  
Ino fidgeted. She'd been fidgeting since she woke up. And, seeing as after everyone fell asleep at her bachelorette party the full realization that she was getting married to her five-year boyfriend/two-year fiancé finally hit her, all thoughts of sleep were abandoned at 5 o'clock that morning.  
  
Relax, her bridal party told her- consisting of most all the girls she ever felt comfortable around -she looked beautiful, the ceremony was going to be perfect and all she had to worry about was spending a week in bed with her soon-to-be-husband.  
  
When she thought about Shikamaru it felt like her insides were about to fly off without her. It took Sakura and Ten Ten nearly half an hour to coax Ino out of the bathroom. They did everything from teasing to pleading to cajoling to threatening to even trying to get her pissed. It finally took Sakura taking a deep breath and asking Ino softly how Shikamaru would feel if his bride left him at the altar. There was silence, the sound of someone blowing their nose and the flush of a toilet. Ino slowly opened the door, wearing only her slip, garter and stockings, sniffling as the two girls escorted her back to the dressing room.  
  
She didn't tell them why she was crying, but they knew. They were already well warned of the demon-imp called pre-wedding jitters. She asked to know how Shikamaru was doing- knowing full well the superstitions of a bride and groom seeing each other before the wedding. They had asked Kurenai and Anko (because she had nothing better to do) to check up on the males. They didn't see either of them until near two hours before the ceremony started.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Are you /sure/ they're here?"  
  
"If they're not here, I have no idea where else they could be." Anko replied.  
  
They stood in front of the building housing the local bar that had been taken over by the upper echelons of the shinobi a long while back. For some unknowns reason, it also doubled as /the/ happening place for a bachelor party as well, though that morning it seemed a very dead, very uninhabited establishment.  
  
Kurenai steeled her doubts. "Well, they're no where else and it certainly won't hurt to look."  
  
The two kunoichi opened the door, casting light on the stained and sticky floor. Frowning into the dark, Kurenai groped for the light switch. There was a screech of a dozen drunken ninjas as the lights came on, all of them struggling for cover under the merciless glare.  
  
"Turn it off! Turn it off!" They pleaded, hiding their splitting heads. Anko wondered how much they had to drink and thought it unfair that no-non- stripper-women were allowed to a bachelor party.  
  
Kurenai, however, fairly exploded. "For the love of-are you aware of WHAT TIME IT IS!?"  
  
"....please, don't shout...." Came the pitiful reply.  
  
"The wedding is in five hours and none of you are ready!!"  
  
"Oh, God... have mercy...."  
  
"Get up!" She cried, pulling the nearest one out by the leg. It was Naruto, curling in on himself and praying to someone that they'd let him explode and end his painful existence. "We have to get ready!" There was a general groaning of a negative, but Kurenai was determined to have her way. Anko, however, was attempting to keep from laughing at the sight. She got careless, however, and one slipped around her fingers. In an instant, Kurenai had turned on her.  
  
"Anko...." She said levelly with a humorless smile. "Would you care to help me?"  
  
"Er, um...." the younger woman said. "Uh, maybe we should locate the fathers and Asuma?" She tried desperately.  
  
The two looked around and realized that, indeed, some of the main names of the ceremony weren't around. Kurenai nodded. "Alright, let's go."  
  
A majority of the partygoers were either curled on the cushioned chairs or snarling at the intrusive lights from under tables. Kiba was behind the bar itself, fallen when he could no longer play bartender, body wrapped around several empty bottles of alcohol. Akamaru, miffed at his owner's neglect, curled in the corner, front paws in a suspicious smelling puddle that his tongue dabbled in with every exhale. The two systematically searched every known room of the bar. The only closet in the building housed Lee, apparently crammed in with what once were janitorial supplies once he started getting violent. They found two people in the very back. The search in that room went rather quickly, though, when they established those two happened to be Kakashi and Iruka, both with a significant lack of decency. Ensuring no one else was there, Kurenai moved on to the next room, only to go back to drag Anko away from the eye candy. The last room was the bathroom and, sharing a grim look between them, the two women pushed open the door.  
  
Slumped in what could vaguely be considered as 'sitting upright' was Asuma, stripped to his boxers and one wrist hand cuffed to a stall.  
  
Anko's eyes widened. "Wow!"  
  
"Anko...." Kurenai warned.  
  
"You sleep with a bear!"  
  
"/Anko/."  
  
"Bet he saves you on the heating bill."  
  
"Will you-" She cut herself off with a hand to her head. "Let's get him and the rest of the party up, okay?" Her teeth were grinding together.  
  
"Right, right." Hiding a grin, Anko squatted by the sleeping beast. "Up, Asuma. Wake up!"  
  
"Blargh." He said in reply, head rolling against the broad expanse of his chest.  
  
"Asuma!" Kurenai gripped the edge of his ear between two knuckles, squeezing and pulling harshly.  
  
"Ow! Ow!" The man flailed, handcuff keeping him immobile. "What?" His eyes were bleary as he attempted to recognize the two misshapen smudges in his face.  
  
"What happened to you?" Ah, yes. Anko.  
  
"Much partying." His words slurred as he reached a thick finger in his mouth, trying to dig out the ash that somehow got embedded into his tongue. He winced as his back protested. "The floor of a bathroom is not a good place to sleep."  
  
"No kidding. Why didn't you free yourself? You have to have /some/ sort of lock picking thing on your person."  
  
"I did until the stripper took my clothes...."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
Asuma's eyes went wide and surprisingly sober as he finally identified the other smudge as an enraged Kurenai. "Er, uh, I-I mean, it's all a blank! I don't remember a thing!"  
  
"Yeah, right." She snarled, snapping the chain with a kunai. "You're lucky I don't have time to deal with you right now. Get up. We have drunkards to get prepared."  
  
His feet weren't nearly as articulate as his mouth, getting tangled up, buckling out from beneath him and just generally getting in the way. Kurenai practically dragged him around, Anko snickering from behind the two. When the older woman looked over at her, clearly frustrated, Anko just pointed at Asuma's backside. Printed across his rear it said 'one way only'. His drawers apparently a gift from Kakashi. Kurenai shook her head and continued to move out.  
  
When they reached the main room once more, Kurenai jostled Asuma a bit. "Where's Shikamaru?" She asked.  
  
"Hm?" Came the tired reply.  
  
"Shi. Ka. Ma. Ru." She shook him again. Asuma flopped in her grip. There was a pause, then a drunken chuckle when his face settled against Kurenai's exposed cleavage. She rolled her eyes, dropping him to the floor in exasperation. Reaching down, Kurenai dragged out the nearest person that seemed vaguely coherent. "Where's Shikamaru?" She asked.  
  
Neji's eyes tried to focus on a spot that wavered in front of his face. It tasted like some animal left a present in his mouth and died in his brain. "I thought you had him." He said helpfully.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"You lost the groom." Tsunade paced before the ranks of men, attempting not to fall over each other. As Hokage it was her duty to sign the legal binding of marriage though her position also gave her power to legally preside over the ceremony. And, seeing as this particular marriage dealt with her most prized strategist (she'd call him her most prized possession, but Ino had dibs on that title long before Tsunade did), she was determined to make sure nothing went wrong. "Not only did you lose the groom, but both fathers /and/ the rings." She stopped and glared. No one was drunk enough to not flinch. "If it were just the rings, we could've gotten them replaced within two hours. The father's we wouldn't be able to cover up, but we could still go on without them. But you just /had/ to lose the /groom/! Did you think we could just go to the local convenience store and pick one up!?"  
  
Kiba, fighting a headache and nausea and beginning to lose on both fronts said, "Er, they /do/ sell blow up dolls-"  
  
"I /think/ she'd /notice/." Her voice was somehow freezing yet scalding hot. "Those of you in the ceremony, get ready. NOW. The rest of you, look for Shikamaru, he's our main concern." She stood, full height before the men, lifting her chin authoritatively. In response, the makeshift platoon all snapped to attention. "Dismissed!"  
  
There was a race to the bathroom as a half dozen stomachs suddenly rebelled.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
In an undisclosed location:  
  
A great, high pitched whine filled the air as two figures exited a building.  
  
They waved over their shoulders, making promises they all knew the men wouldn't keep.  
  
"Bye! Maybe we'll see you again!"  
  
The girls pouted, clad in very flimsy, very gauzy clothing that really didn't do much in the ways of clothing. "Come back anytime!" They cooed after the two, striking rather tempting poses.  
  
But they had a duty to fulfill, neither would be swayed. At least, not today.  
  
"Man, I really needed that."  
  
"No kidding."  
  
They walked back to town in silence.  
  
"Uh, Shikato?"  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Don't tell my wife about this, okay?"  
  
"Not a word."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The town was just close of being torn upside down looking for the missing groom. They had /tried/ to keep it a secret, but there's always someone that, for the life of them, couldn't keep their mouth shut.  
  
Kiba looked horrified. "....."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You weren't supposed to tell them that!" He hissed.  
  
Shino blinked, still half swimming in alcohol. "....Oops?"  
  
It was only by pure force of will and the iron rule of the bridal party that kept the news from Ino. She always stayed in the dressing room for some reason or other, watches posted on either end of the halls and in a five meter radius outside it to make sure no one was shooting their mouth off of the fact. Ino had enough things to worry about. This one didn't have to go on that list, too.  
  
When they had found the fathers, they told them the situation. Shikato just let out a little noise of contemplation and told them: "Check the cemetery," before he and Inoshi went to get themselves freshened up for the ceremony.  
  
Indeed, resting at his best friend's grave, was Shikamaru, sprawled on his back and snoring lightly. By his feet was one over turned glass, sitting in front of the marker, was another glass, still full of crystalline champagne. By them were three bottles of beer. One he had poured over the gravestone (it still glistened and still smelled of it), the other two Shikamaru had apparently guzzled down along with most the bottle of champagne.  
  
The search party, after exchanged bemused and envious glances, hauled the drunken doomed-man-to-be between them, they prepared the long and awkward drag to the church...  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It wasn't the ideal way to have the missing Shikamaru turn up, Tsunade knew, but they had little choice. While most of both parties were ready to go, they were down to two and a half hours until the ceremony was going to start and the groom was passed out and going suffer on impressive hang over while the bride was getting herself so worked up she had to have access to the bathroom in case her jitters got the better of her.  
  
Damned if /she/ was ever going to get married after this.  
  
So, making the best of the situation, she instructed the men to deal with the situation. Stick him in a cold shower, try to wake him up anyway they could (though, judging from how Shikato decided to just watch and laugh at their attempts, she /really/ didn't think waking the boy up would be easy). Once he got cleaned up, regardless of his state of consciousness, they were to put him in his tux. They'd drag his barely living carcass down the aisle if they had to. And if he /did/ wake up, if there was anything that could cure his level of hangover, even a placebo, he was welcomed to it, raw oysters and all.  
  
It was nearing go time, however, when Shikamaru showed signs of cognizance. Unfortunately, it was just him spitting out some deranged concoction Gai had cooked up ("It always worked on Lee!" Gai said, but then, Lee had the constitution of drunk asking for another drink, it was only natural a guy that got buzzed off the scent of alcohol could get sober off something that wouldn't work for anyone else with a hangover) all over the front of his tuxedo. It took a lot of frantic movement and begging and pleading the local tailor to give them another silk shirt and expect payment at another time.  
  
Blearily, during a time when he staunchly had to not pay attention to the half dozen odd hands trying clumsily to take off his shirt, Shikamaru- for the most part –woke up. His eyelids did the Wave, trying to figure out who the closet person in his face was.  
  
"Oi....." he slurred, body lurching a bit /too/ forward when he tried to get a closer look. "Ssssssss'suke."  
  
"What?" He asked, annoyed. For someone that should've been legal dead from alcohol blood content, Shikamaru was making it awfully difficult.  
  
"What're you doin'? 'M almost a married man...."  
  
Eye twitching, Sasuke had to refrain from smacking the groom upside the head. He was awake now, after all; the wedding may go off without a hitch, so long as he stayed awake. "We wouldn't be doing this, stupid," he practically tore a sleeve off of Shikamaru's arm, "if you didn't puke all over yourself."  
  
Shikamaru's brow puckered. "I di'n't." Then he actually thought about the sentence. "'We'?"  
  
"Just shut up, Nara." Kiba said from around his waist, having to prop said drunkard up while the other changed out his shirt. "This'll be over with quicker if you just leave it to us."  
  
Lifting a brow, Shikamaru swayed backwards until he was practically lying across Kiba's back. "If you guys're feelin' /this/ exp'rimen'l, ya shoulda tried it /earli/-hmph!"  
  
Neji stopped that thought with an unused bow tie in the mouth.  
  
With a grunt, Naruto tried to hold the groom's rubber-like, flailing arms to fit them into the new shirt. "Probably a good thing he doesn't remember what happened last ni-mph!"  
  
That thought, too was rudely stuffed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The crowd was starting to get irritated by the time Tsunade decided that it was do-or-die time. She felt vaguely sorry for Shikamaru because he'd be the person to do the dying should things get messed up. She sighed quietly at the altar. He was the best mind she'd ever seen. She'd certainly hate to lose him because of an unhappy wife.  
  
The music started and the crowd looked at the doors at either side of the church. From opposite aisles came two parties: the groom and the bride.  
  
Ino was beautiful, even more eye-catching than normal. Her hair, though still short, was curled for volume, pinned to her head in complex weaves with her veil. The collar of the dress- low cut for her ample bosom –drew the eye with a soft pendant that hung low, glittering like dew against her skin. The dress hugged tight against her slender waist and smooth hips. Skirts wrapped around her, billowing and trailing, the high cut emphasizing the length of her legs. She was stunning, a goddess in pale silks and flowers, leaving the scent of meadows and sunlight behind her.  
  
The only thing that kept the congregation's attention off the bride, however, was the groom. Not only because his party was having trouble moving in a relatively straight line, but also because the groom was slowly sinking to the floor....  
  
Careful not to draw attention, Ino's mother leaned over to her husband.  
  
"You /did/ say Shikamaru-kun hasn't been having second thoughts, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So why does it look he's about to fall over?"  
  
Inoshi pressed his lips together as Shikato hauled his son straight on his feet.  
  
"Er...."  
  
"'Er'?"  
  
The man cleared his throat. "We may have partied a bit /too/ much."  
  
The crowd tried to hide it murmuring at the odd behavior of the males, but it still rippled from person to person. While Sakura, Ten Ten and Hinata complimented Ino's latent grace, Naruto, Shikato and Asuma merely enhanced Shikamaru's lack of coordination with their own stumbling. It was a surprise that Naruto didn't drop the rings on their way to the altar.  
  
It took all of Tsunade's will to keep from hanging her head.  
  
That /that/, she thought, was Konoha's most prized shinobi? She was glad none of the other villages were here to see this.  
  
Ino didn't seem to notice any of it, however, as she kept walking forward, blissful smile on her face. It was only until both parties stopped (and nearly crashed in the groom's party's case) at the altar that Tsunade realized that a part of Ino had drifted off. Probably imagining a more /perfect/ wedding. She actually felt a little jealous.  
  
Clearing her throat, Tsunade started: "Dearly beloved. We are gathered her today to witness these two in the bonds," her voice shifted slightly from their self-confident tone, attention being drawn towards Shikamaru. He seemed to be slowly sinking, his knees giving out on him. ".....of holy matrimony...." She let out a discreet sigh when Shikato reached over and set him up straight before his boy could fall on his face. Realizing that she had paused a little /too/ long, Tsunade looked down to find her place in the book again.  
  
The ceremony dragged on and Shikamaru was starting to sag at the knees again. When he began wilting dangerously forward, his father grabbed him tightly around the shoulders, straightening him out again. And, in attempt to /keep/ him upright, he held onto Shikamaru's elbow. It didn't work as his knees buckled again, nearly sending both to the floor. After Shikato indicated with toss of his head, Naruto- after having a brief argument with his feet -moved behind the groom, supporting his other side.  
  
Tsunade was impressed by Ino's bearing. Her smile hardly faltered but she could see glaciers moving behind her eyes, slow, cold and waiting to do some damage.  
  
The rest of the speech went quickly, no one having to stop and wonder if the groom would faint dead away again- though there was one incident where Naruto had spaced out and began to sway on his own feet. Ino had made a show of shifting slightly, pressing the sharp of her elbow harshly into Naruto's side.  
  
Tsunade didn't want to risk anything happening with the vows, skipping right towards the exchange of rings. Shikato- the most sober of the three men –had to take Shikamaru's hands in his in order to place the ring on Ino's finger.  
  
In order to keep any other disaster at bay, the Hokage decided to end the ceremony. Closing the thick book between her hands, Tsunade smiled brightly. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
A fresh wave of blush made its way to Ino's face as she turned anxiously at her new husband. Naruto and Shikato bodily pointed Shikamaru in the right direction and dropped their hands, confident he could handle the rest on his own.  
  
After a false start, Shikamaru leaned forward. His lips barely brushed Ino's before he fainted. Ino squeaked, nearly bowled over by his sudden weight on top of her.  
  
The hall erupted in a cheer, the women crying and cheering, hugging each other and wanting to get to the reception to offer their congratulations. The men roared, thumping each other's shoulders and wanting to get to the reception to tease the newlywed and get some more drink.  
  
With Shikamaru eased off her, Ino and her new husband were swept up by the crowd, being pushed over to the reception hall and the feast that awaited everyone there. Drinks were poured and shoved in her face while Shikamaru sat (still unconscious) in his seat. Until gravity pulled his face down to the table in an audible and rather painful sounding *thump*.  
  
Ino lost track of what was going on with all the questions fired at her, plates of food and cake and glasses of some drink or other constantly pushed in front of her. And the speeches. Oh, God. She couldn't remember what anyone said, really, just that they were drunk and were not things she really /wanted/ to remember to begin with.  
  
Rolling her eyes as someone started off some vulgar marriage-oriented drinking song, she looked enviously at Shikamaru, wishing she could spend their reception in a different plane of awareness like he did.  
  
Ino was surprised, though, too look over at Shikamaru and finding him watching her, apparently having woken up somewhere in the loud commotion. He stared up at her, head still resting on the table, and smiled gently. She couldn't help but to smile back, seeking his hand with hers, liking the way his cool band felt when her fingertips slid over it.  
  
She jumped in surprise, shocked when both their parents snuck up on them.  
  
"Hey," Inoshi said, a drunk flush on his cheeks and nose, "you two can get going any time now."  
  
The newlyweds looked up in confusion. "Huh?"  
  
"You can leave without those guys making a commotion. Your carriage is waiting outside to take you to the most passionate locale money can buy." The blonde man said with great flare. "In Fire Country." He added off handedly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Shikato pressed while Ino's mom giggled oddly behind the two men. "Get goin' or else those guys'll start gettin' on yer case again." Even his oft bragged about 'Nara constitution' was buckling under the amount he'd been drinking in the passed few days. His words were starting to border on completely incoherent.  
  
Making almost as much racket as the rest of the congregation and shushing noises, they hustled their children out to the carriage, tackily decorated with a large 'just married' sign on the back. Complete with (for some unknown reason, probably Naruto's doing) tin cans on strings dragging behind it. They didn't give Ino a chance to argue, Shikamaru wasn't in any condition to say a word at all. Shoving them inside the plush confines, the three stood back, waving and shouting encouragement and advice as the carriage left until Ino leaned out the window and told them to shut up, face reaching an unpreceded shade of red.  
  
She stayed leaning out the window, waving at whoever was on the streets until they had left the gates. After a moment longer, Ino began to wonder who exactly was driving them. She tried to lean forward and get a good view. When that didn't work, she routed through the duffel bags (which had so conscientiously been set up in the carriage) for a mirror. Angling it just so, she could see the silhouette of two people. She blinked. ANBU. Then sweatdropped. In tuxedos.....  
  
Ah, well. She snapped the compact closed, setting it back in the bag. Safety precautions and all. Lord knew how many people would kill to get their hands on a head like Shikamaru's. "But they'll never be able to take you away from /me/." She said, shaking her hair out from where it had been pinned up. "From this day on, you're mine to do what I want with." And first order of business was punishment for the ceremony. She turned on her new husband.  
  
Shikamaru had fallen asleep, slumped in his seat, head resting against the soft sway of the carriage wall. Ino huffed. Then, thinking better of it, settled against him. She smiled up at his relaxed visage. "Just because I'm letting it go for right now," she told him quietly, "don't think I'm letting you /completely/ off the hook."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was nearing midnight by the time they reached the resort. It certainly did take its title as the most passionate local money could buy in Fire Country. Very isolated, any little thing they could've done to enhance a romantic atmosphere they did. And still managed to not be amazingly tacky about it. An artificial waterfall falling into a large, man made lake, strings of lanterns criss crossing above docks with a clear view of the stars. They even managed to construct the area to get the maximum effect from both sunset and sunrise.  
  
The ANBU stopped the carriage, driver discussing parking regulations with the valet while the other hopped down to help Ino out of the carriage. She tried not to look at the mask above the immaculate tux, afraid she'd start laughing if she did. The ANBU reached in, trying to steady Shikamaru as he stumbled out, just barely awake. The ninja grabbed their bags, prodding Shikamaru forward as the bellhop lead the way to their room.  
  
After the two left her and her husband alone in their room, Ino looked around. This was supposed to be the deluxe suite, but Ino didn't see anything overtly impressive about it. A nice sized bar, a little kitchenette, large bed, curtains draped all over the walls. And the ceiling, too.... Frowning, Ino went over to the rope that hung down, giving it an experimental pull. The curtains pulled back, showing the room, lined floor to ceiling (every inch, couldn't even /see/ the ceiling around the light fixtures!) with mirrors. She blinked. Then flushed.  
  
She explored the rest of the suite. An oversized bath, Jacuzzi, stereo speakers in every room. The mini-fridge was stocked with all sorts of alcohol, the other mini-fridge stocked with all sorts of passion fruits. One closet was filled with chests of sex toys, another filled with costumes ranging from schoolgirl to different types of uniforms to S&M leathers (with chains and whips). Ino didn't even want to guess what was sitting in the nightstand that was maybe a little /too/ close to the bed, now that she thought about it.  
  
Ino turned to look at Shikamaru, still swaying slightly by the door, not having moved an inch since they were left alone. Trying to ignore how hot her face felt, she turned away, trying to dredge up anger because it wasn't nearly as mortifying.  
  
"I can't believe you! How could you embarrass us like that! At our own wedding!" Enraged, Ino tore the wide skirt off her body. The layers of silk billowed somewhere in the corner. Without them, her dress clung almost indecently to her thighs, showing off enough leg to create wet dreams for an entire class of pre-teen boys. When she turned to let off another wave of righteous indignation, Shikamaru's weight fell against her for the second time that day. This time, though, it sent her off balance, landing in the thick, soft folds of the bed. Before she could protest his mouth was on hers, claiming, hungry and sucking every angered word off her tongue.  
  
Ino wriggled her hands between them, enough to free her mouth, letting him wander along her jaw and neck.  
  
"You're drunk." She said, shivering slightly when he hit that spot just behind her ear.  
  
" 'm not." Came the rebuttal, one hand kneading her breast, the other snaking behind her back, trying to find the clasps to her dress.  
  
Ino rolled her eyes. "You are." But she sighed against him, slipping his jacket off his shoulders.  
  
He moved his lips back to hers with a negative sound. "Not." He repeated, pulling back to rest, forehead to forehead and grinned. "You just said you didn't mind my losing control."  
  
Ino raised an eyebrow at him. "That didn't mean I wanted you passing out in the middle of the ceremony."  
  
"Long night yesterday, long night tonight." Shikamaru kissed her again. "Just needed to rest up."  
  
Giggling against the hand spider-walking up her back, lost in its mission, Ino asked. "You think that'll be enough rest for you?" She placed a light kiss on his nose, wrists crossed behind his neck and bringing him down toward her. "Prove it."  
  
Shikamaru just grinned back. His hand had finally found the clasp. 


	4. Finding 'Home'

Finding 'Home'

by: Virgo

Shikamaru waited in the hall impatiently as the ninja announced his presence to the Hokage. He had better things to do then wait on the old hag to do bother him. Picking up his kids from class was at the top of the list. But Hokage-sama called and even if you were one of her favorites, you didn't tell her no. Not without getting some major repercussions.

The ninja returned and slid back the door for Shikamaru, bowing as the strategist walked glumly in. Despite the familiarity between the two he always acted like seeing Tsunade was like going to the gallows. Or meeting his mother-in-law (as he actually liked his mother-in-law, he supposed Tsunade made a good substitute for the stereotype).

"Nara, good." She said, not bothering to look up from her paperwork. "Have a seat. I have something important to discuss with you." Her hand drifted to a pause as she listened for the ninja at her door to leave. Certain he was at a safe enough distance, Tsunade fairly threw the brush aside. "Ah! I hate this new assistant!"

Shikamaru could barely contain the quirk of his lips. "Because he actually makes you read everything that comes across your desk?"

"Because he won't let me drink or gamble." She pouted, slouching over her desk. She looked every inch /not/ the Hokage. "He's such a wet blanket."

"Not like you should be doing that during working hours, anyway." Shikamaru commented, taking a seat across the desk from her. "What did you want to talk to me about."

"Hmmm. You've been keeping up with all the missing nin reports, right?"

"Yeah."

"How long back can you remember?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes slightly in both concentration and suspicion. "A few years."

"Do you remember when Sasuke ran off?"

His frown was fairly carved on his face. "Yes." /Everyone/ knew when Sasuke became a missing nin. Everyone couldn't seem to stop talking about when it happened and people were /still/ talking about it five years later.

Shifting her robes about her shoulders Tsunade sat back in her chair. "We just received word that someone had been in contact with him."

The man gave a bit of a snort. "Who?"

"A woman from a village on the outskirts of Fire Country. Claims she was his wife and had a child by him." She raised an answering eyebrow as one of Shikamaru's went up in question. "We've already had the boy checked out. He's the correct age and he shares too many of the Uchiha traits to be a coincidence."

Shikamaru crossed his arms. "And?"

"He sent the boy and his mother here, asking that they be taken care of."

"And where is Sasuke now?"

"That the woman doesn't know."

For a long moment Shikamaru didn't know what to think. Finally he asked: "What does this have to do with me?"

The old woman slid a sheaf of paper across her desk. "This was sent with the two, addressed to you."

Apprehensive, Shikamaru took the paper between his hands, the muscles in his shoulders clenching slightly, unsure what to expect.

'Nara Shikamaru,

I'm not too good with words so I'll get straight to the point. As you know, I've been gone for some time now. The reasons behind my leaving was to finally face my brother as I have apparently reached my highest potential. I will fight him on my own terms with my own strength. If I have defeated him or not, unfortunately, you cannot be certain of.

But I have been given this chance because of you and, though I haven't practiced the art of it, I am grateful to you. You prevented me from making the biggest mistake of my life and destroying any chance I could've had in restoring the honor and glory my clan was once revered for. It has been a long time coming, but I truly want to thank you for what you've done for me.

And I want to apologize for the pain my rash decision has caused you. Through the years I've tried to come to terms with what I've done and though I've killed many in my missions as a ninja of Konoha, none of them had bothered me the way the death of Chouji had. I want to atone for what I've done, I want to undo what I've done, but I cannot. All I can do is beg for your forgiveness and tell you that I pay for his blood every minute I see the strength and vitality- the same strength and vitality I've seen in your friend –in my son. I am constantly reminded of the wrong that I caused you, the Akamichi Clan and the entire village of Konoha.

If I should triumph over my brother, I will return to the Konoha and gladly accept the punishments due to me for desertion and my crimes against a fellow ninja. If I fail, my only wish is that you allow my wife and son to live. Dishonor my name if you wish, dissolve my family name if you must, but please let them live in peace. They know nothing of my destination or of my plans for vengeance, nor do they understand to full extend of the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan.

I know it is insolent to ask for such things, but I beg this of you. Please take care of my son.

Uchiha Sasuke'

Thrice Shikamaru read through the note, jaw clenched as his frown threatened to become a snarl. Tsunade watched carefully and patiently the changes in the man's mannerism. Finally she asked, "What do you think?"

Shoving the emotions away, he relied on dispassionate judgement. "He is a missing nin. He is also possibly dead. He will be treated as such though we will still let our wide patrols know that he may still be out there." Shikamaru paused to think. "I'll also place inquiries within our intelligence web and with the other villages if they've heard anything on the Akatsuki."

Satisfied, Tsunade nodded. "And the boy and his mother."

Silence solidified in the office. Shikamaru glanced down at the parchment and frowned. ".....Where is the boy?"

"I'll have him brought in." Pitching her voice to be heard through the door and down the corridor, the Hokage called out, "Bring the child!"

Within two minutes the door slid back once more. The assistant bowed before the presence and quietly ushered in a tiny boy. He shyly regarded the Shikamaru (years of growth and experience and death hardened the man's face and, somehow feeling betrayed by the letter, emotions made his expression dark) but smiled happily at the Hokage.

"This," she said, sweeping out her hand, "is Sasuke's son."

Kneeling down, Shikamaru held out a coaxing hand. Slowly the boy came within touching distance. "What do you know about your father?" He asked quietly.

"Not too much." He mumbled back. "He used to smile an' laugh a lot, but he was also very sad a lot."

"Do you know where he went."

"He said he had to make things right."

Shikamar's brow furrowed. "'Make things right'?"

"'S what he said."

Expression softening, Shikamaru asked the child, "How old are you?"

"Three an' a half!" The boy said proudly. He stood straight and beamed and no where could Shikamaru see the same gloom and pain and anger that clouded Sasuke's eyes.

"Well?" Tsunade said. "What's your verdict?"

But Shikamaru had one more question to ask. "What's your name?"

"Uchiha Chouji!" And he grinned that same wide grin that Shikamaru had been missing for years and at that moment Shikamaru /knew/ that Sasuke was sincere, that Sasuke had changed. And he knew that Itachi would no longer be able to destroy the person that Sasuke had become.

"Chouji...." Shikamaru put a hand on one tiny shoulder and said with a smile that wavered only slightly, "My name is Nara Shikamaru. Would you like to meet my children?"

Yah, sorry for the ultra long period of nothing coming up. Even though I know what I wanted to do for this one, I couldn't think of anything to write. Then when I finally got half of it done my computer crashed and I lost everything I ever did. At that point I was so depressed and busy with my original series that I was actually thinking about forgetting about this.

But, you know, boredom does things to me. And since I had forgotten what I wrote previously, it was like starting from scratch again so I'm not worried about how it held up to the previous version.

I'm kinda happy about how it turned out. I honestly don't know if Sasuke beat Itachi or not, but I think it's most important that Sasuke is fighting him more as a sense of closure more then just for pure revenge. For him to be able to have a child that he loves so completely is a big accomplishment for him. And to be able to regret what he had done indirectly is just as important. He has a sense of responsibility and has become more human.

And I know someone will probably complain that Sasuke's not with Sakura or some other girl from the series. The reasoning behind that is two-fold. One, because everyone in Konoha and the other villages know about his past and his abilities. So either they feel sorry for him or they want his strength for their own. And the second because I couldn't think of any girl I like to see Sasuke with anyway :P

Someone had asked who Tsunade was talking about (sorry, can't remember your name offhand;;) when she said Sasuke should support 'him'. She was talking about Shikamaru because he, by keeping Sasuke from going to the dark side, he practically saved his life. That and losing his best friend on a mission that he led was a crushing blow to Shikamaru.

Okay, er, last note, I think: Next chapter I'm going to properly introduce Shikamaru and Ino's youngest kid and his team. That chapter, I'm afraid, is going to be the last one and then I'm officially closing the Stumbling Blind series. It was a lot of fun and I'm eternally grateful for all the support everyone has given me and I'm glad you've all stuck with me for so long.


	5. Precedence

Precedence By: Virgo  
  
A speculative drabble, set in the far future. Ino and Shikamaru have two children: Shikari, 9 and Inosuke, 4. I'll get more into their descriptions at a later time.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
He was always alone in the meadow, but he didn't mind. He was used to it, mind working clearly despite his age. His mother worried about how much he was closed off, even to his own parents. His father said not to worry, but he knew his father was also worried behind his eyes. He heard the talk, the ones that the adults didn't want him to hear.  
  
He was already learning the basics of ninjutsu, at the same level his sister already was at. His father said to learn to pace himself, his mother wouldn't teach him anymore. Not until he was old enough to enroll into the academy, anyway. Not even Tsunade-bachan ("That's Hokage-same in public, sweety," he remembered his mother saying) would let him learn more. Only Shikari would teach him every time she learned something new, though she was often discouraged when he'd always grasp the techniques better than she could.  
  
But, sitting in the meadow he would imagine. Think and piece together bits of what he knew and come up with something new. He supposed he should tell someone what he knew, that he'd go into his father's study and look at the books, or he'd spy on classes when no one was there to take care of him.  
  
A shadow fell over him and he looked up, a small daisy he was playing with bobbing idly between his knees. His gray-blue eyes turned the color of storm.  
  
The person knelt down next to him, hands on their knees. "What are you doing out here on your own?" They asked- he didn't know what to make of them, their voice was like a chorus of people, a range of deep and high that wove to a pitch that made for an oddly enchanting voice.  
  
But he said nothing in response. Not because he was taught to not talk to strangers, but because he rarely said anything, even to his own family.  
  
"Don't you get lonely," they asked, "here by yourself?"  
  
Again he said nothing, just watching the wind pass through their unbound, dark hair. He looked up into their face and couldn't seem to remember it. It was as if it kept moving every time his eyes focused on another part of the face and his brain couldn't wrap around the entirety of it.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you." A hand lifted from a knee, but dangled down by the grass, careful not to touch anything.  
  
He just cocked his head.  
  
"I know you want to learn so many things. I could teach you, if you'd like." There was a grin, almost like fangs but it was just the play of a wet tongue behind curling lips. "I could teach you anything you want."  
  
And slowly that hand came up toward him, glistening and changing colors in the dance of the light. Pale then bronze then brown then ashy.  
  
From the other side of the meadow came a growl.  
  
"Inosuke." The boy turned at the sound of his father's voice, a tone he had never heard before. "Come here." Standing, he saw his father, stance too tense to be casual yet still not aggressive. By him stood four ANBU. One of which was an Inuzuka, their wolf-dog baring its teeth in the boy's direction.  
  
He didn't feel any fear, he knew he wasn't in trouble. Slowly he got to his feet and tottered off to the direction of his father, grabbing a pant leg obediently. He turned back to the stranger.  
  
The stranger in question smiled and it seemed to crawl on their face, unable to keep still. "You've found me so soon. I'm impressed."  
  
His father's eyes narrowed. "We have your scent. No matter whose face you take, you can't hide from us anymore."  
  
"Does that mean you've come to capture me?"  
  
"Don't be stupid." The grip on the boy's shoulder tightened and he worried briefly why his father would get so upset. "Even with the five of us, we wouldn't match against you, and I'm not about to start a needless battle in front of a child."  
  
The stranger tilted their head down. Even their hair, falling over their shoulders, could seem to decide what length to be. "I suppose I'll have to be dully warned, then?"  
  
His father growled, almost louder than the wolf-dog, and the ANBU tensed in response to the sudden aggression in his form. "Keep away from my son, Orochimaru."  
  
They just smiled lazily and turned away. "For today, at least." They said over their shoulder. Except, somehow, all the melodies turned into one. It wove into his ears and nestled into his brain, haunting him while he ignored it.  
  
His father picked him up gently, but the strain was still in his face. Curious and worried, he put a slightly pudgy hand against his father's cheek.  
  
"Papa." He said plainly.  
  
"It's not your fault." His father placed a rare kiss upon his brow. "I'll take you home and you can just forget about this."  
  
But he wouldn't. Because he knew that he father wouldn't, either.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N II: Like I said, purely speculative. I don't know how long Orochimaru will last, I'm not even certain how this entire 'face taking' thing works, but *shrugs* eh.  
  
Notes on the kids: Shikari is five years older than Inosuke. She's got Shikamaru's inherit laziness but she still has Ino's drive. She gets annoyed easily, especially by herself because she /tells/ herself she's going to do stuff but then doesn't get around to doing it because she's too lazy to. One of the smartest kids in her class, she's only a mediocre student because she can't seem to get herself to try hard enough, even though she wants to. She knows how much Inosuke likes to learn though she doesn't understand why their parents won't teach him so she tries to teach him what she knows. Though she gets /very/ annoyed when he can do better than her without even trying. She has dark brown eyes and sandy blonde hair that she keeps in a low ponytail that reaches halfway down her back.  
  
Inosuke is very quiet and reserved. As a baby he rarely cried and, even though he's fully capable or speech, rarely talks, even to his own family. He inherited all of Shikamaru's intelligence and, though he doesn't have Ino's exuberance, with her unyielding nature coupled with a lack of Shikamaru's laziness makes him wanting to learn in order to keep his intelligence sated. He seems closest to Shikari, though it may just be because she's willing to teach him when everyone else is trying to keep him with the rest of his age group. Tsunade has a special interest in him because of his skill (even at his age he has fairly good control over /both/ his parents' blood skills) and is worried he might draw unintentional attention to himself. He has long bangs that frame his cheeks but it's short in the back.  
  
As far as blood line skills go, with Inosuke's genius, he'd probably found a new blood line skill. Like how the Uchiha Sharingan was derived from the Hyuuga Byakugan, it would mostly likely mean that new skills are developed through 'mixed breeding', you could say. What one could come up with a cross between the Nara and Yamanaka skills, few..... we could only guess^^ 


	6. Full Circle

Man, I really wish someone would've reminded me I haven't finished this thing yet! I mean, I haven't been able to get online in months and I have this thing that I want to put up but I eventually forget and then I finally GET back online and I completely forgot that I had this thing rotting on my computer!

bows I am soooooo sorry it took so long for me to remember and actually get this up! I'm glad this is the last one because now I can go kill myself for forgetting something like that > ;;

So, this takes place far into the future (of an alternate timeline from canon!Naruto-verse, stupid Sasuke) and everything eventually comes...

* * *

Full Circle  
by: Virgo

"Hey, so you /are/ here!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from the report he was writing out. "Hello, Kiba."

The older man grinned at the top of Shikamaru's head. "Hi." Akamaru, however, demanded the shadow nin's attention and bodily shoved his head on the man's lap for a head scratch. It was a far less energy consuming an action then Shikamaru made it seem.

"When did you get back?" Kiba asked. Idly he juggled with the five apples he swiped from the break room.

"Last night. Late."

"Ah."

The three sat like that for a while. Kiba hummed quietly as he juggled, looking every inch like the world could wait on him. Shikamaru still wrote with one hand, the other one scratching the same rhythm as the brush along Akamaru's neck. One long stroke, three smaller ones in quick succession, one diagonal that curved slightly under his hand-

Ending another sentence, Shikamaru set down the brush and looked up at Kiba. "Do you want something?"

The other man looked at him in surprise, juggling now four apples as he had put the fifth in his mouth. "Hmf?"

Rolling his eyes, Shikamaru caught one of the airborne fruits. "Don't you have a job to do or something?"

"Yeah." Kiba mumbled around the apple. Catching the last three he placed them back in one of his pouches.

"Shouldn't you be doing it, then?"

"I got time till it begins." Stuffing his hand into a pouch, Kiba produced a folder. "Besides, since you were out during your tour of the other villages for so long, I thought you might wanna catch up with the home front." That said, he slid the folder across the table.

Shikamaru looked down at the label and felt his lips twist in a frown.

* * *

"So you're my team, huh? Well, let me tell you right now that I'm gonna be pressing you pretty hard. If you try to give me less than your best, I'll just make you do the task over and over again until you give it your all, got that?"

The three kids nodded in varying degrees of delight.

"Good. Now, let's start with some basic introductions. State your name, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, whatever. I'm the friendly type so whatever you don't tell me now, I'll just find out later. Let's start with you."

The smallest and youngest of the three frowned. "I'm Nara Inosuke. I like to read and study. I hate annoying people and prefer to be alone."

* * *

"A bit early for him to be in a cell, don't you think? I mean, he's what? 10?"

The younger man snorted. "It's because he was making learning harder for kids his own age. Couldn't just sleep in class and leave well enough alone."

Kiba nodded in agreement. "He's got Ino's drive."

To this Shikamaru scowled. "And her temper. When he couldn't reason with me to put him in a higher class, he threw a fit."

Akamaru's ears rose at the same time Kiba's eyebrows did. "Really?"

"First time I ever heard him yell in my life." He flipped to the next profile.

* * *

"Well. That was enlightening." The other two kids snickered. "And you?"

"Uchiha Chouji. I like exploring the forests and any place in the village I can get to. My favorite spot is on top of the monument. My best friends are Ino-kun and Shikari-neechan. Shikari-neechan is always fun to hang out with, but Ino-kun is impossible to play with when there's strangers around." He grinned that wide-open grin that was never before associated with his family name, giving the young boy a playful jab in the ribs. The action was met with a frown but otherwise ignored. "My strength is taijutsu. My weakness is vegetables."

* * *

Shikamaru put a hand over his head. "An Uchiha. She put an Uchiha with my boy."

"You know, she had to go through a lot to get them in the same cell." Kiba pointed out. "It severely overpowers all the other teams."

"You miss the point." Shikamaru said right back. "Orochimaru is after Inosuke. Orochimaru has been after both Itachi and Sasuke. What makes you think he won't also try for Chouji?"

Sitting back he crossed his arms. "That's part of the reason why they're in the same team. They're the top two graduates of their class. Whatever subject Inosuke wasn't the top seed, Chouji was. If Orochimaru or any of his subordinates try to take them, they have a better fighting chance together. Besides," here Kiba lowered his voice, "you know about Chouji, don't you?"

At first Shikamaru didn't understand, but then his brows lowered in realization. "You mean the Sharingan?"

"He won't use it. He knows, deep down, that a lot of people are afraid of him. I read the report that one time he actually used the Sharingan. His teacher had a bad reaction to it and the other kids were scared." Kiba tapped a finger idly. "I think Hokage-sama is hoping that Chouji'll out grow his fear."

The other grunted in agreement. "Just give him time. He'll understand."

* * *

"And you?"

"My name's Mitarashi Kanna!"

* * *

"Whoa, wait a second!"

Kiba blinked, surprised to find Shikamaru had jumped to his feet. But not as surprised as Akamaru who jerked his head back, right into the underside of the table.

"/ANKO'S/ kid? What is that woman /thinking?"

Surprised, Kiba waved his hands. "Hey, hey, calm down! There's a perfectly good reason for this!"

"What, is the hag putting any possible target into one group to make it easy on Orochimaru?"

"Shikamaru, c'mon! Would you just listen?"

With a growl and apologetic scratch to Akamaru, Shikamaru obediently sat down.

* * *

"I like running around and playing pranks on people. I hate having to stay in one place for long and like to spend nights out outside. I especially like the rain and collect bugs. I don't like boring people or idiots. My specialty is hidden weapons. I don't have any weaknesses to speak of."

Inosuke snorted and looked away but Chouji seemed curious about the girl. "How come you're here with us? You weren't in our class."

Kanna stuck her tongue out at him. "My old cell got broke up because we were apparently causing too much trouble for the instructor to handle."

* * *

Pulling at his uniform collar, Kiba cleared his throat. "You know, of course, that Kanna is actually a lot older than her new teammates. She's actually older than your daughter, I think. Hokage-sama was planning this a while ago and forced Kanna's team to participate in the chuunin exams last year because it was being held by another village. Because she wasn't extremely well known or a total surprise, the fact that she passed didn't cause a lot of fuss. She's a very powerful ninja for her age- not as powerful as her mother, of course, but then she doesn't have a cursed seal."

Rolling the explanations around his head, Shikamaru settled back. "But still, if she's as talented as Anko, what makes her think Orochimaru won't go after her, as well?"

"It's the same reason Hokage-sama put Chouji in there. They have a better fighting chance."

"They're children. Two genin and a chuunin in disguise. The Sandaime lost to Orochimaru, what good could they do."

Kiba nodded to this argument. "Well, one thing I know for a fact, being her mother's daughter, Kanna knows several forbidden jutsu that Orochimaru taught only to a chosen set. Of course, her knowledge of these techniques aren't known on record. And I also know that she's already made a summoning pact. With Uwabami."

Shikamaru jerked his head up. "That would mean-"

"If they were to meet Orochimaru and they both summoned Uwabami, he would have to place his allegiance with Kanna, as she is the most recent to sign with him."

Thinking it over, the team actually didn't sound too bad. But one thing bothered him. "And how exactly do you know all this?"

Kiba just grinned. "Check out who the teacher is."

* * *

"Well, I'm your instructor, Inuzuka Hanazura. You can call me Hanazura-sensei or Hanazura-neesan." She made a face. "My own brother doesn't even call me that anymore. He thinks he's such a big man, now." This brought out more snickers from Kanna and Chouji. "I like to read, myself. I also like being outside, especially with my family's dogs. Speaking of which, this is my dog, Kinokaze."

The large dog barked, sitting proudly by his mistress's feet.

"He's one of the best trackers in our clan. I've especially trained him to climb trees so he can be just as mobile as the rest of you." Hanazura ran her long fingers down Kinokaze's back and he fairly purred as she reached his favorite spot. "We both believe in hard work and won't except anything less from ourselves or anyone. I also believe in harsh discipline, so if you don't do as your told or don't complete your task, you will be punished accordingly."

Chouji pressed his lips thoughtfully as Kanna grinned. Inosuke, however, crossed his arms and fairly exuded his dislike of being there. Hanazura went over to the little boy.

"Don't be like that." She told him. "You'll like it with me. Besides, since you got the top scores in academics and practical application, I'm certain trying won't be hard for you. Ne, Pochi?"

Inosuke's eye twitched and the other two snorted through stifled laughter. "What?"

Hanazura blinked. "I said you shouldn't have problems trying."

"Don't give me stupid pet names."

With a wide, fanged grin, the woman patted his head like some pup. "Well, when you can prove to me that I won't have to keep prodding some effort out of you, you'll always be my cute little Pochi."

Chouji and Kanna just lost it after that.

* * *

"Your older sister, huh?"

Kiba shrugged. "Hokage-sama figured it would be easier to communicate that way. You know, because animals have so many different ways of communicating to each other without drawing any attention."

"Wait, they what?"

"You weren't told?"

"Told what?" The muscle in Shikamaru's cheek twitched. He didn't like not knowing things when they concerned his children.

"As an extra precaution, Hokage-sama is sending an ANBU team to shadow them. They won't deal with any of their missions and will keep a good distance away, but they'll jump in at the first sign of Orochimaru and take the children away."

"And who, precisely," Shikamaru asked, his chin in hand, "is on this ANBU team?"

Kiba broke out into a wide grin. "Well, I am, obviously. I mean, you need someone that can understand what Hanazura's dog is saying, right?"

"And who else?"

"Neji, for one."

For the first time in a while, Kiba actually saw Shikamaru grin. "Neji? That must be a fun experience."

Rolling his dark eyes, Kiba said, "About three months ago I probably woulda killed myself, first. But ever since Hinata put him in his place, he hasn't bothered me about 'tainting his precious bloodline' or whatever."

"Hn. Who's the last one?"

"Naruto."

"Naruto." Shikamaru hummed in something like approval. "He's got the best track record when facing Orochimaru."

"And you know how he is with Sasuke's kid."

"Yeah, it makes sense. Though….." He narrowed his eyes.

Kiba narrowed his in response. "What?"

"I feel horrible for Neji. Putting you two idiots together always leads to trouble."

"C'mon. We've mellowed out through the years."

"But you're both still idiots."

"You know," Kiba leaned in close, his face was serious but his eyes playful, "your kid's future /is/ in my hands."

Shikamaru just smirked right back and said, "And your future is in mine."

"….."

"….."

"I hate arguing with you."

* * *

And that, dear readers, is the end of the Stumbling Blind series. I want to give a special thanks to everyone that's been keeping up with it since the beginning. If it weren't for the overwhelming support (and I mean mad overwhelming, I've never got so much attention from a fic before) I don't know if I would've finished it.

Though I'm not planning on doing any more fanfiction, I do have a challenge journal set up at livejournal dot com/users/idiosyn. I'll take any challenge you throw at me, regardless of if you have a lj or not. All the rules and guidelines are posted up in the profile.

And speaking of profiles, here's a brief look at the new team: Team 6

Nara Inosuke: 10 years old. He doesn't like to fight but he likes to learn. Fairly anti-social, the only person he really calls 'friend' is Chouji. He doesn't get into a lot of trouble though his teachers have always had to talk to him about reading advanced material in his class (he always keeps some sort of advanced reading on him) and not participating with the other children. His eyes are greyish in color and his hair is black with bangs down to his chin and the back of his head shaved. He usually keeps his hair down except when he's doing heavy thinking in which he pulls his hair back in a ponytail much like his father's. He wears his headband around his waist.

Uchiha Chouji: 12 years old. He has a very open and pleasant personality and doesn't know about the tragedy that befell his father and his family. He's a close friend with both Nara children, he and Shikari being the only ones that can get Inosuke to smile. He refers to Shikari as 'Shikari-neesan' meaning 'older sister'. He also calls Ino 'okaasan' (mother) and Shikamaru 'Shikamaru-tousan' (father). Or 'o-san' (old man) just to amuse Ino. He knows that people are somewhat afraid of him because of his bloodline and is afraid of using the Sharingan because people's fears multiply. He was a slow learner the first few years at the academy, but Naruto- not wanting Sasuke's son to grow up isolated –took it upon himself to teach and integrate Chouji into the village. Chouji excels at hand-to-hand combat but there are some basic-advanced techniques that he's still a little shaky on though, between Naruto and Inosuke, his inherent talent has shown through. Though not as gorgeous as his father, Chouji still has very note-worthy good looks in a more boyish sense. He has ebony hair that sweeps forward and very dark, almost black, blue eyes. His face is very expressive but turns completely blank when he's worried or insulted. He wears his headband on his forehead.

Mitarashi Kanna: 16 years old. Like her mother, Kanna is a mischievous girl who thinks the more trouble she has the potential to get in, the bigger the thrill. Despite her friendly and energetic personality, she likes being mysterious (though there's little about her to be mysterious) and tries to think of herself as a manipulator though, as time goes, Inosuke will always call her out on her 'schemes'. Even though she's one of the main members of a group of young rebel girls always causing trouble, she's very responsible and will make her group help to mend any serious damages with the villagers. She takes duty as a ninja very seriously and strives to be the best of the best. She's not too upset with being placed in a cell with two genin because she understands the possible severity of the situation and- not only does her sense of duty want her to protect the target –she's always ready for a good fight. She's a master of hidden weapons and knows several forbidden jutsu though her trump card is her genjutsu ability. Her eyes are black and hair is dark brown which she keeps spiky up top with a long, thin ponytail. She wears her headband on her forehead.

Inuzuka Hanazura: Late 30s to early 40s. She's Kiba's older sister who has been seen on brief occasions in the manga. She has a group of dogs as her partners but only uses one as an instructor. She likes to know anything there is to know about others- especially about her students. Being very sisterly, she likes being looked up upon and being depended on by others (which is why she'll bug Kiba about never talking to her). It's because of this attitude that she's the prime handler and head vet of her family. She refers to Inosuke as 'Pochi' which is basically the Japanese equivalent of 'Spot' in dog names. It's made part in jest and part as a codename. She wears her headband low on her hip.

And, for those of you that want to see, here's a picture of Kanna, Chouji, Inosuke and Hanazura: tripod dot ajremix/sbss dot jpg. Don't mind the lines in the background and the color testing in the corner. It was just a doodle on the back of a map.


End file.
